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Monday, September 21, 2015

Failure. I am so afraid of it. If I am unsure about an outcome, I avoid it. I have a hard time coping with the thought of failure. Because I don't want to fail, I come up with an overwhelming amount of contingency plans for uncomfortable situations. I want to be so prepared that I won't be shocked if something goes wrong. Of course, with such a need for control, my stress levels are through the roof.

I have been working on relaxing and realizing that experiencing failure isn't a bad thing. I'm working on trying and seeing where something goes instead of predicting every single step. This self-improvement is incredibly stressful, but it's the only way to grow. Isn't it?

Time to stress eat with some red bean pops. This pops are hearty and full of beans. Feel free to add some whole milk to thin it out.

Rinse the red beans. Bring to a boil. Pour the water and rinse the beans again. Cover the beans with 2 inches of water. Add palm sugar. Bring the beans to a boil. Once boiling, cover with a lid and lower the heat so it simmers. Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Be sure to check the water level every 30 minutes. If most of the water evaporated, add more water so it covers the beans. The beans are finished when it is tender. A quick way to check is if a bean easily squishes between your fingers.

When the beans are finished, remove from heat and smash with the back of a spoon until mostly smooth with some chunks scattered throughout. (If you prefer extremely smooth paste, blend with an immersion blender.)

Add condensed milk to the bean mixture. Add milk now if you want a less bean intense pop.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

When I first started this blog, I was carefree and I wasn't very money conscious. Since I started working full-time and building my savings and retirement accounts, I feel very uncomfortable now being unemployed. I don't like seeing the numbers decrease in my bank account. In order to make money last, I have been tracking my expenses and finding ways to cut down cost.

My latest discovery is brewing my own coffee. I know. The majority of the world brews their own in the morning already. Back when I used to work, I wasn't a daily coffee drinker so I didn't see the purpose in brewing my own. It was more economical for me to buy that one cup of coffee that I needed once a month. Now that I'm returning to school, I need coffee to wake up and absorb information in class. I have been spending $1.75 two times a week, which totals to $3.50, which isn't much when you're working. However, when you're living off savings that is money that can be saved. I didn't want to waste money purchasing a coffee machine so I decided to cold-brew. For $1.30, I bought enough fresh coffee beans that made 6 servings. That's approximately 20 cents a cup! Now, that is the price that I can afford.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

When I was at my previous job, I was burnt out. I woke up dreading work and felt sick all the time. I never seem to get better. I finally decided to leave for my own mental and physical health. I was counting down the days and fantasizing about my new beginning.

That new beginning wasn't as glamorous as I thought. I was expecting to suddenly know what I wanted to do. I thought jobs would suddenly fall into my lap. I thought I would just know where to go next. None of my questions were answered and I felt stressed from the unknown.

I kept asking myself, "Where do I go next?" "What do I want to do?" Eventually, I had small meltdown and cried and cried. Surprisingly, the tears helped clear my mind. I decided to take a step back and take some courses at community college to explore. I found a part time job to cover my basic needs and pay for classes. Hopefully from this point on, I'll find some clarity.

Since I am in the low-income bracket, I have been more money conscious especially on the amount I spend on food. I was stoked when I discovered Leanne Brown'sEat Well on $4/day. Good and Cheap. She wrote a free cookbook with recipes for cheap, simple, seasonal, and tasty snacks and dishes. You can download the cookbook from her website above. The first recipe I tried was her Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola Bars. They are easy to make and portable. I have been bringing them with me to my morning classes. The peanut butter flavor is subtle and it is lightly sweetened from the jelly.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Before I left my last job, my clients were extremely generous and thoughtful. One of them gifted me a bottle of Domaine de Canton, because she knew I loved ginger. She mentioned the best way to consume it is to make a simple cocktail by mixing Domaine De Canton with ginger beer. She was absolutely right. The flavor of the ginger comes through and it's spicy.

Take a high ball glass and squeeze juice from half a lime. Fill entire glass with ice cubes. Pour 1 oz of Domaine De Canton. Top off with ginger beer. Give the cocktail a quick stir and garnish with a slice of lime.

Mix cranberries, sugar, and water in a small pot. Over low heat, stir the cranberries for 5 minutes until all the berries have bursted and a mushy sauce is created. If some berries are still chunky, use the back of the spoon to smash it. Allow the mixture to cool in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, pour 1/4 cup of half and half in a bowl and sprinkle gelatin on top. Set aside.

In a small pot, heat rest of half and half over low heat until steaming. Stir into gelatin mixture until well combined and slowly incorporate into the cranberry mixture.

To Assemble

Find small serving dishes and put a scoop of cranberry sauce on the bottom. Next, pour panna cotta on top. It should be a ratio of 1:2 of cranberry sauce to panna cotta.